Obsessions
by SoScreamsAWhisper
Summary: Obsession. Rejection. GaaMatsu. Real summary inside.
1. Take it as it is

**Obsessions:**

**Summary:**

**Obsessions. That's what Gaara starts to feel when Matsuri developes a crush on a local "bad boy". Now, in a mission to get the girl, Gaara just needs to remove the other guy, not that Matsuri would let him if she knew...**

**Chapter one: Comments & criticisms/The boy.**

"Matsuri, are you even paying attention? This is really important. If you don't move the sand just right, it will kill you."

The brunette haired girl nodded. She hated making her sensei have to repeat himself. He was easily provoked, but never too mad.

"Right, sorry, Gaara-sensei."

The redheaded boy in question kept his eyes intensely on her. She almost had it, but not quite.

He walked over to her. "Matsuri, listen to me, you need to give it a little more chakra, and less concentration. It tends to choke you when you do that."

The younger girl nodded. "Okay, Sensei. I'll try once more."

Gaara nodded, and allowed his pupil to try once more.

The sand around them moved three inches upward, then slowly, steadily, formed a shelter that resembled a castle.

"Sensei, Sensei, I did it!"

The seventeen year old boy nodded. "Yes, Matsuri, you did. Good job."

Matsuri beamed so brightly at her master, she could have just told the sun to take a few weeks off.

He caught that. "Hey, you stop smiling at me, and keep on going. You're far from done."

Matsuri nodded, taking in his comments and criticisms.

She was about to retry the technique, when a _very_ serious distraction passed by. And that was by Gaara's standards.

* * *

_Woah, he's amazing, _Matsuri realized.

The boy in question had shiny black hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were as red as an eclipse. He was gorgeously pale, and incredibly handsome. Gaara, on the other hand, didn't think much of him.

Gaara had always knew that he would have to keep her away from boys, but he never thought that the day would be so soon.

_I'll take it as it is,_ he promised himself.


	2. Twinges of Jealousy- part1

**Chapter two: Twinges of jealousy (Part 1)**

"I like him," Matsuri decided, checking to see if her heart was still beating. It was.

Little did she know how irked she was making her sensei. The little patience that he had, fast fading.

_I'll have to keep a close watch on that one,_ he realized thoughtfully.

Gaara was annoyed. "You can like him so long as you stay focused."

Matsuri nodded. She realized that if she messed up now it would look embarrassing to the handsome boy.

_I wonder what his name is,_ she mused.

Gaara knew that he shouldn't, but it made him mad that Matsuri wasn't paying attention to his lesson, and she usually did.

The handsome boy suddenly got a face full of sand. Gaara's doing through and through.

And while he expected Matsuri to turn back to the lesson, the opposite occurred. "Oh no!" she cried, running to the boy who was now laying on the ground.

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?" Matsuri asked him, her onyx eyes wide. "Please be alright."

Then something surprising happened. He began to laugh. "Yeah, I'm just fine. Just a little sand in the eye, that's all."

Matsuri was stuck on every single one of his words. "I'm Matsuri, and you are...?" she asked, eyes still huge.

He smirked. "Charmed, really. But I'm not quite sure I'm should give it."

"Cool. Let's go, Matsuri," said Gaara, who she hadn't even noticed behind her.

She turned back to the boy. "That's Gaara. Don't mind him. He's always grumpy."

The raven haired boy nodded. "Well, in that case, I'm Amikoshi. And you, My lady, are beautiful."

* * *

"He's the most charming creature in the world- no the universe!"

Gaara nodded. "I'm sure he is." he paused for a few seconds, then added, "So, what's his deal anyway?"

The younger girl shook her head. "I don't know, but I really want to find out. "

She sighed. "Gosh, he's so dreamy!"

_Yeah, I'll definitely have to be watching that one._


	3. Death Threats

**Chapter three: Death threats**

It had been three days since the first meeting, but that was way too short for Gaara's taste. On the other hand, Matsuri only thought about him. And she got her wish that fateful day.

Gaara and Matsuri were walking down the street. Everyone that passed the duo nodded at the Kazekage. He only nodded back in acknowledgement.

"Gaara-sensei, you should be nicer," Matsuri told him, frowning at his expression.

He never did anything with that incredibly handsome face that she called her sensei.

Not long ago had she thought of him as a possible future. But she had decided to give up that fairytale. He already had a ton of other girls after him. And most of them, she believed, were so much prettier than herself.

_What could he possibly want with me?_ she had wondered sadly.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," said a cool voice.

Matsuri looked up and saw that it was Amikoshi. He was smirking at her, but his eyes were taunting Gaara, telling him to fight back.

Gaara knew how to play that game too. Maybe even better..."You were, now beat it," he commanded, his tone so cold.

Matsuri shook her head at her sensei. "Nonsense. You didn't even. But we would be happy if you'd walk with us."

Gaara was even more annoyed, if that was possible. "We would?" his glare made it perfectly clear that he did not want Amikoshi to feel welcomed.

And if looks could kill, despite her fear of them, Matsuri would have killed Gaara with a various many assortment of weapons. And many times over, at that.

_Be nice,_ she mouthed to her moody sensei.

Gaara sighed. "Fine," he growled, making it clear that he thought that it definitely wasn't "fine". "You can join us, but stay out of my way. You got that?"

Matsuri sighed. She hated it when he got like that. She then decided it would be better for her to take the lead.

That was a mistake, but one that she would live the rest of her life without ever knowing.

* * *

"There's an 'us' between you two?" asked Amikoshi. He made a "Tsk"-ing sound, and continued, "I doubt that."

Gaara was now thoroughly provoked. "And if you don't watch it, there'll never be an 'us' between you and Matsuri. I was trained to kill without conscience. Do you really want all my rage directed at you?"

If Gaara had thought Amikoshi an idiot, which he did, he was definitely sure of it now. The raven haired boy's reaction was not an expected one. A pure idiotic move. Especially when talking to Gaara.

It was a taunt. "Bring it on. I won't lose."


	4. 24-7

**Chapter four: 24/7.**

Drilled. That's what she was. In order to keep her away from Amikoshi, and him away from her, Gaara had gone through great lengths to make sure that Matsuri had no time at all. He trained her everyday until she collapsed.

Of course, being the "great" mentor he was, he was always the one who brought her into her room, and tucked her into bed.

But one day, Matsuri surprised him. When he got up at six o'clock that morning, he found that she was in the training center, already working.

Her hands were scraped and bleeding, but she just continued her training. Her perseverance drove Gaara's spirit. He had no idea that she could push herself that far. And that impressed him.

Suddenly, the girl was moving her hands up in a technique that was all too familiar to him. He knew what she was about to do next, and he was silently commending her for it.

Thick walls of sand rose up around her. Her hands held as they changed. Slowly, steadily, they changed into a figure's head. Then the face began to carve itself. At first, Gaara had thought that it was him, but then he soon realized that it was Amikoshi. Matsuri was cocooned inside of it.

And that's when the trouble began. Her legs gave 'way, sending her and the sand carving down over her. The sand crashed in over her. There was way too much for her to survive.

Gaara immediately began parting the sand himself. When she was finally resurfaced, he noticed that she was still breathing, but just barely. He quickly checked her pulse. There was a small heart beat, but it wasn't very strong.

"Matsuri!" he yelled at her.

Her face was cold, and her eyes still closed. Her breath was slowing.

"Matsuri, wake up," he begged, near desperate.

But her eyes stayed closed.

It was a last resort, and he didn't want to do it, but he slapped her across the face as hard as he could.

Her eye jerked open, she shuddered once, then began coughing up a mixture of blood and sand.

He didn't know what to do, so he just patted her shoulder, moved so that he could sit behind her, leaned her fragile being against his chest, then held her while she vomited.

"That's my girl," he whispered into her ear.

If she could have spoken, she would have asked what he meant by that.


	5. Nicely played

**Chapter five: Nicely played.**

When they got home, Gaara had given her a lengthy lecture of the dangers of sand. Especially when too weak to use it properly.

Sure, he was trying to help, but his wording made Matsuri wince every two seconds.

He was about continue with his lecture, when a new voice came forth instead.

"Hey, Matsuri, where are you? Are you in here?"

As Amikoshi walked into the room, Gaara cracked.

"What's he doing here?" he snapped a little too harshly at his student.

"He was suppose to watch me train today."

Gaara was more peeved than Matsuri had ever seen him before. "Well, that's too bad. You can't train today anyway."

"Huh? Why not?!" she cried.

"If you do anything else, you'll overexert yourself, and that would kill you. Is that really what you want?"

"I'll be fine," she promised, onyx eyes wide, begging.

He knew better than to look at her. If he did, he would have broken, and bad things would have happened. They always did. Especially when it came to the two of them.

"No. You need to rest," he said as gently as he could, which wasn't all that gentle, but a real improvement.

Suddenly, an idea dawned on her. "You mean that I won't be training at all today?"

Gaara was suspicious, and soon, he would realize that he had a right to be. "Yeah, that's what I said, but why?"

She shook her head innocently. "No reason, but if my schedule's open, I want to go out with Amikoshi."

If he hadn't had any training, Gaara would have flinched.

But he knew that if he was to keep her back, he would need to have a clever excuse. Poise and tact was needed. "I don't really think that's a good idea. You should really rest."

Matsuri was oblivious to his obvious hatred for Amikoshi. **(**_Though how?_**)**

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that!" she cried, thrilled that she thought he was "trying to help her."

"Yes, exactly. You go rest now, Matsuri. I'll take care of our 'guest'."

The girl turned, and ran up the stairs.

* * *

"I know what you're doing. It's not going to work. You know that, don't you?" Amikoshi asked him, smirking.

Gaara took the bait. "So says you, but it's never a good idea to count me out. I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve, as do I have a many assortment of weapons. And if you so much as think about hurting that girl, I'll use ever single one of them one you."

"Ow. You must really care for that girl." When he noticed that Gaara was avoiding his gaze, he realized how true that stood. "I'm right, aren't I? You care."

Gaara shrugged. "She's my pupil. And if you already knew that, you'd better watch out."

Amiksohi shook his head arrogantly. "But I like this. The master in love with his pupil. That's scandalous. It really is."

Gaara shook his head. "It's not really. Besides I never said I was in love with her. That's your own assumption."

"Oh, but you really said that you are. It's written all over you."

Gaara knew what angle he was pulling. He just smirked right back. "No, I simply said that if you don't watch out, I'll kill you. It's just that simple."

**This _is_ suppose to be a comedy, so could you tell me what parts you found funny. Or parts that you liked. I'll try to write more think them. This is also my first GaaMatsu. Please tell me if I got them out of character.**

**The inspiration that came for this story was while I was reading Gaamatsu stories. I noticed that Gaara was never _ever_ jealous. So I decided that I would make one that was full of his jealousy.**

**And I also know that if you write a story about this couple that's full of jealousy, I may put it in a community entitled, "Got Those Envy-Greens".**

**Thank you.**


	6. And the winner is-

**Warning: Gaara's slightly OC in this chapter, but it still isn't that bad. Still rated PG.**

**Chapter six: And the winner is...**

Amikoshi was left to stare after the teenager, who was now walking away. There was a clear winner, and there was a clear loser of that round.

As he walked away, Gaara wore a proud smirk on his face. He knew that he was irritating the other boy. He could tell that Amikoshi was the type of boy that hated to be laughed at. And Gaara had decided to go out of his way to laugh at the poor sucker.

"Teach him to mess with me. Nothing good ever comes from that. Ask anybody, they'd tell him the same thing," he muttered under his breath.

He started to walk towards his room, then made a b-line towards Matsuris's room instead.

_I should check up on her. She's bound to already be asleep._

He allowed a wry chuckle to escape from his lips. That rarely ever happened, and never in front of her. He had a rule against that.

After being her mentor for three years (she was sixteen, him; seventeen), he had learned that she fell asleep very fast.

When he got to her room, he gently eased the door open, then silently walked across the carpet. He stopped right over her bed.

Gaara gave the sleeping girl a rare smile.

But that's when he noticed it. The covers were pulled over her head, but something was off. He heard no unconscious breathing. There was no movement. And as he removed the covers from her face, he already knew what he would find.

Nothing. She was missing! But, to do you one better, she had left. All on her own. And without his permission.

* * *

It was around five o'clock at night when Matsuri returned. Little did she know that Gaara was still awake, and not happy.

She silently crept up the stairs that led to her bedroom. She thought that she had been undetected, but soon she would find out that that was not the case.

She opened the door, and stepped inside.

* * *

"Getting back, are you?" snapped an especially cold voice.

Matsuri froze. "G-G-Gaara-sensei, I-," she managed before his fierce glare sent her trailing off.

He stood, taking a few menacing steps towards her. All she could do was stand, and wait as he starting circling her like an angry vulture.

"Did you have fun, Matsuri?" he asked, his teal eyes especially stormy- it was a perfect score to settle the mood. "Amikoshi's a real riot, isn't he?"

Matsuri stuck up her head as he continued his circling. He was baiting her, and she knew it. "Yes, Sensei, he is."

A surprising force of uproarious laughter streamed from his parted lips. If Matsuri didn't know any better, she would have said that he was jealous.

"So, how is your little boyfriend?" he inquired, still staring at her like a predator stalking prey.

Matsuri was annoyed. "Please do not call Amikoshi 'little'."

Gaara's glare had not loosened, and now, if anything, it was even more accented. "What would you rather I called him? Your 'Sol Distraction'?"

Matsuri met him with a glare of her own. I don't see what the problem is. You were once my 'Sol Distraction', as you put it, she confessed silently. Aloud, she said, "There are many things that distract me. Will you go out of your way to eliminate them all?"

Gaara, who had stopped circling a few minutes, brought his fists down on her desk. "Maybe?! Would you like me to?!" he snapped, eyes wild.

Matsuri was trying her best not to wince. She had never seen Gaara act like this. His tone was calm, while his words were filled with emotion.

She felt an uncommon anger take hold of her. "Gaara-sensei, with all due respect, I don't think you have the right to tell me who I can or can not date. It's my life, and it's my choice," she told him curtly.

Gaara stared at her for a few more seconds, then stormed out of the room. And Matsuri's happiness exited with him. As did all her good thoughts of Amikoshi at the moment.

_Is he really worth it? _she asked herself. She didn't know. _If he is, then why do I feel like I'm cheating on Gaara?_

**Hahaha! I really loved writing this chapter. Fight scenes are always the best.**

**P.s. If you happen to read any stories that have pieces of GaaMatsu jealousy in them, I might add them to my community. **


	7. Re-introductions

**And no. In this chapter, Gaara is not OC. He's just still mad at her.**

**Chapter seven: Re-introductions.**

The next morning, when he got up at six o'clock, and he went into the kitchen, he noticed that Matsuri was up again. She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept at all last night.

"Hey," he said as he sat down, "were you up all night?" His teal eyes were full of a surprising amount of concern.

She was really out of it, barely awake. Hew had to nudge her shoulder before she even acknowledged he was there.

"Where? What? How?!" her words were slurred, and her hair was a mess.

"I said, 'were you up all night'?"

She shrugged. "I did a bit of training around eleven o'clock, or I think it was."

"What? At night. Are you crazy?" his gaze never left her eyes. "What if you had overdone it? Do you really think that you'd be strong enough to get help for yourself? No, you'd be far too tired. And what if there was another sand slide? Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Matsuri resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was acting like he was her father. "Then I suppose it's a good thing that I steered clear of using the sand," she retorted gently, laughing at his annoyed expression. "Besides, I doubt that I would have made the same mistake as last time. I usually learn from my mistakes the first time."

"Yeah, usually."

Matsuri was peeved. "Okay, I'll play. What if I had used sand, and it had collapsed on me? And I hadn't managed to escape, would you be sad? Would you grieve for me?"

Gaara was shock that she was even asking him that. "Matsuri, how could you even ask that?! I'd be angry, and of course I'd grieve for you."

Matsuri looked upset. "And you wouldn't be sad?" Very upset.

"I said I would grieve. It's the same thing."

Matsuri shook her head. "No, it isn't. To grieve it to let something go, but to be sad is to mourn to loss of something so precious. So important."

Gaara thought it over for a second, then decided on his answer. "Yes, I'd be sad, but I wouldn't be able to show it. After all, I'm Kazekage. I'm not suppose to show my emotions."

"That's a false pretense, if I know one. And always hanging around with you, I'd know. Besides, you can show your emotions, the Kazekage before you did, but you're too afraid to do it."

He glared at her. This glare was fiercer than the one he gave her yesterday. "No. I'm not afraid-."

"Yeah, 'cause you're _not_ afraid of _anything_. Emphasis on the 'not' and 'anything'," she cut him off sarcastically. He just continued his glaring.

"Oh, Gaara-sensei, if you're gonna sulk, do it in the corner," she teased.

She giggled as he rolled his eyes. "Finished?" he asked her. When she gave him the signal to continue, a nod, he stated, "As I was saying, I'm not afraid of the emotions. It's the looks that people would give me. They expect me to be cold, but yet, strong enough to care for the village. That is the Kazekage destiny."

"Gee, Gaara-sensei, at the risk of saying it, you're starting to sound like Neji."

She gave way into a fit of laughter, while he just watched, envying her capacity of joy.


	8. Forgotten?

**Sorry about the wait. I had a major writer's block. God, I hate those!**

**And in case you're wondering, Amikoshi and Matsuri aren't dating yet. And while I haven't finished torturing Gaara, I have given him a window of opportunity to get her. A small one, true, but we all know that I'll let him have her. I'm not that cruel a person.**

**Chapter eight: Forgotten?**

Things were steadily going back to normal, but Gaara knew that it was going to take a lot more than just an apology to fix this. And the fact that Matsuri still insisted on seeing Amikoshi didn't make his mood any better.

But the worst of it was still to come. But that's the thing, it _was_ coming. And too soon. On that day.

* * *

Gaara glared at the boy, who was now making himself comfortable on a rock wall. He had to resist the urge to cause the sand to swallow him up. But he knew that Matsuri wouldn't be so amused if he did that.

His urge only increased by tenfold when Amikoshi shot him a knowing look.

That only made Gaara ant his death that much more.

* * *

It was twenty minutes in, when a weird beeping went off.

"I got to go," Amikoshi told Matsuri, pointing at his watch.

She nodded sadly. "A kiss goodbye?" she asked.

"Fine, Babe."

He leaned down as she moved up. Their lips were almost together when Gaara broke in,"Alright that's enough of that."

Gaara was sure that the vein in his temple was about to pop.

While the two sighed in self-pity, they didn't hear a third sigh. One of relief.

Amikoshi decided to, instead, plant a kiss on her cheek. "Okay, gotta go. Have a fun practice, Babe."

As soon as he was gone, Gaara spoke. "Really? Babe? Really?"

"Why? What's wrong with that?"

Gaara scoffed in annoyance. "Well, let's start with the fact that you **hate **those type of names."

"I could like them!" she countered.

"Right," he replied sarcastically, "that's why you scrunch up your nose whenever you hear anyone call someone their 'babe'."

Matsuri sighed. "That's enough. We just got over a fight. Do you really want to start another one?"

Gaara shook his head, but he was still mad.

"Hey, you should show me how to make a giant sand castle without it falling on me."

He nodded, her voice shaking his plots of revenge away. "Yeah, sure."

He came up behind her, took one of her arms, and steadied it. "Okay, what you're going to do is gently push some chakra into the sand, but remember not to concentrate too much."

She did as he asked, but she was painfully aware of how close he was to her.

_No, _a million of her voices cried in her head,_ you can't get excited. That's what the old you would have done if he was this close. You're over Gaara. You like Amikoshi now. Not Gaara. Your feelings for him are all gone. Put in the past. Forgotten._

But they didn't feel very forgotten, and once again, in that same week, she felt that she was cheating on Gaara.


	9. Why should I?

**This is short. I do not own a thing. All rights go to their respective owners. Warning: Gaara: OC. Get it?**

**Chapter nine: Why should I?**

Matsuri swept a hand across her forehead, wiping away warm sweat. _Curse you darned feelings!_ she screamed silently. _Why should I feel this way while he is totally unaffected?! Why shouldn't I get trhe chance to move on?! Amikoshi could be good for me, but I can't fully love him because I still love Gaara!_

She was pacing back and forth in her room. Her training had ended thirty minutes ago, and now all she could think about was Gaara-sensei being so close to her. And the worse thing about it all? She felt like she was playing Amikoshi, and cheating on Gaara.

_Could this get any worse?_

* * *

That night, Gaara noticed that Matsuri hadn't come down to dinner. And when he had asked Tamari about it, she just shrugged and said, "I don't know, Gaara. She may not be hungry."

He grunted, letting her know that he wasn't convinced. "I think I should go check on her."

He stood up to leave, but Temari grabbed a hold of his arm. "You might not want to go up there."

Gaara was glaring at her as he growled "Why not?"

"Well, if shes mad, you don't want to be up there."

"Yes I do. And if she's mad, she can get over it. I'm going up."

He pulled away from her grasp, only to be grabbed again by his older sister.

"Temari," he warned in a low voice. "Let go. I don't want to hurt you."

"Gaara, she obviously wants to be alone."

Gaara was unmoved. "I don't care."

"Leave her be," Temari begged.

Gaara gave her a cold look.

"She just needs her space, that's all," Temari continued.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "She's been avoiding me all day. How much space could she possibly need?!"

Temari resisted the urge to laugh. He- the _**Kazekage**_- was acting like a child! "As much space you can give her right now," Temari explained as gently as she could.

Gaara sighed, and begrudgingly sat down. "Fine. But I'm not letting her get off so easily."

Temari rolled her eyes. _Yeah, 'cause trying three seconds ago to storm her room and demand why she hadn't come to dinner is letting her off 'easily,' _Temari said silently.


	10. Lie

**Warning: Gaara is the picture of OOC in this fanfic, just so you know. **

**Now, I don't own this, otherwise why would I be writing this instead of making it a reality? I wouldn't. It would be GaaMatsu everywhere, and I do mean everywhere!**

**Chapter ten: Lie. **

"I guess you weren't hungry yesterday," growled a deep voice as Matsuri snuck into the training center. She'd really been hoping to avoid him, but now she knew that wouldn't be an option.

"You're right," she lied, "I wasn't hungry."

Gaara wasn't buying it. "I know that you've been avoiding me," he paused for a second before adding, "But then, I've also been avoiding you."

Matsuri stood in utter shock. "That was not what I thought you were going to say," she said, trying her very best not to show her surprise, but he read her way too easily.

"Matsuri, be at ease. I'm not going to attack you."

While, in appearance, she looked calm, she felt on guard mentally. _What the heck is he planing?_ she wondered, still holding her pose.

"I know, Sensei," she promised, though she wasn't so sure anymore. _What are you doing? _"I must be tired," she lied.

Gaara wasn't about to believe that as easily as she wished he would. "I bet. Not eating does tend to make you tired," he said through gritted teeth.

Matsuri was lying to him! Was she trying to make him mad or something?!

"Gaara-sensei, you're gritting your teeth," she pointed out, trying her best not to panic.

_GAH! I've pushed him over the edge!_ she realized, finding, for the first time, that holding her pose was getting harder and harder.

She had never once feared Gaara until now. But even through her fear, she felt a glimmer of hope that he wasn't as mad as he looked. But then again, this was the man who had been hosting Shukaku. But that had never bothered her until now.

"Matsuri," his voice was surprisingly calm. "Don't lie to me. I know that you're not tire. You're hiding something. Temari stopped me from getting it out of you yesterday, but she's not here, now is she?" While his first words were calm, the last sentence was spat out like acid.

She winced, heart threatening to pound out of her chest. _LIE! Make up a lie!_ her mind screamed at her, but she was far too afraid of what would happen if he saw through it. _But he wouldn't hurt me, right? _But right now, she really wasn't so sure.

But then, an idea came to mind. Stall. "What do you mean that Temari stopped you from getting it out of me? And what is it, anyway?" she asked "innocently".

"Matsuri, I can see what you're doing. Quit stalling," he said, rolling his eyes at her attempt of escape.

She shrunk back a bit. "I- I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."

Gaara leaned a little closer. "You should have told me what sooner?" he dug, no less gentle.

Matsuri held herself in check, but really wanted to let out a sigh of relief. He was buying it.

_LIE!_

She slowly walked over to him and whispered something into his ear.

"That's all?!" he exclaimed, surprise written all over his face.

She looked him square in the eyes. _Lie. _"Yes, that's all. I've been planning to ask you for a dance, Sensei. Please say 'yes'."

In all truth, Matsuri didn't care if he said 'yes' or 'no'. All she wanted was 'out'.

She stared at him, contemplating his answer. _He's going to say 'no'._

But that's when Gaara surprised her. "Yeah, go ahead. Have your dance."

It took Matsuri a moment to realize that he had just agreed. That was her que. She started to shriek like she was happy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Gaara-sensei!"

She even threw in a little hug to sell her show a bit better. Well, that's the reason she managed to convince herself she did it for.

But deep down, Matsuri knew that it was for the closeness that she once had wanted.


	11. Preparations and thoughts

**So, with all the chapters lately being so OOC, I decided to make a more funny one. After all, this is _suppose_ to be a comedy! And yes, I get that Matsuri sounds stupid when she's wondering if he'll even appear at the dance 'cause he's the host, and all, but trust me, he may be the host. But she thinks that, and with good cause too, he'll just "tell" (Order's more like it) them to enjoy the dance. She thinks that he'll just leave right after. So here's the short-awaited chapter. Like it if you wanna, but review if you don't (I like being flamed).**

**Chapter eleven: Preparations and thoughts.**

It was going to take place in a few days, and there was a lot of work to be done, but Matsuri knew that she had gotten herself into the mess she was in now.

_I wonder if Gaara will stay for the dance,_ she thought, surprised that she even cared what he was doing that night. _Well, the night would certainly be more eventful if he did stay, that's for sure._

But then, her mind switched over to the fact that he was the reason she was even hosting the dance. Well actually, wrong again. Gaara was hosting the dance, she was just a supporter. The idea 'supporter'.

_Curse you, Gaara-sensei. Why did you even say 'yes'?! You could've let me down easy! _shouted the enraged "Idea supporter."

* * *

In a different mind, the same thought was raging just as wild, if not worse.

_How could I have said 'yes'?! Matsuri will go with Amikoshi, and they'll dance, and kiss, and get married, and have children! And I'll just be Kazekage. How stupid is that?! _screamed a certain red-head's thoughts violently.

Sand was streaming out of his gourd like there was an enemy to kill. It thrashed brutally, slashing viciously through the air around him.

_Calm down,_ he rebuked himself, sternly.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," he said, commanding the sand back into his gourd, and the person inside.

It was Kankurō.

"Gaara?" he asked, surprising his younger brother with a look of concern across his face.

Gaara remained calm as he inquired, "Yes, Kankurō? What is it?"

"We need to talk," was the immediate serious reply.


	12. Nonnegotiable

**Chapter twelve: Nonnegotiable.**

Gaara started to feel worried as he silently closed the door behind him. Kankurō was giving him a look that said something serious was about to go down.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, no indication of his feelings displayed.

Kankurō seemed to be snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, what?"

Gaara did his best to keep his patience, but Kankurō could sense his rather obvious irritation. "I asked you what you wanted to talk about."

"Matsuri," came the puppeteer's reply.

A deep sense of dread overtook him at once. "No, Kankurō. I know where you're about to go with this. That's too far! She's no more to me than a student."

The older boy shook his head and rolled his eyes at the younger's excuses. "It's bullcrap if you think I'd believe that."

Gaara let his eyes drift to the floor, knowing full-well that he was about to get a very long and boring lecture.

"Besides, who do you think you're talking to? Did you really think you could think you could fool me?" Kankurō continued.

"I don't want to talk about this," was his futile defense. He of all people, excluding Temari, should have known that wouldn't scare him away.

"Too bad. It's nonnegotiable. Talk."

"I'm Kazekage and I will not be lectured. Not by _YOU_ and not by _ANYONE._"

Kankurō was surprised to find that he was suddenly filled with a new determination. He was going to get through to Gaara no matter what it took. Body or soul.

"That title holds no meaning to me at the moment," he said, eyes filled with fire, "Right now all you are is my brother. And you're having girl trouble."

When Gaara averted his eyes in embarrassment, Kankurō continued, "Look, we all have those moments. Heck, we all have those years, but it's still something you got to deal with, no matter how painful it is."

Gaara slowly met his eyes for the first time since Kankurō arrived.

"Are you sure that you really want to continue on with this conversation?"

Kankurō noticed that Gaara's eyes and his voice didn't match. His eyes were pleading, while his voice had the same famous emotionless taste to it.

"Yep."

"And you're not going to change your mind?"

Kankurō didn't even need to think about his answer. "Nope."

Gaara sighed. "Not even if mental or physical damage were to occur, despite my new distaste for hurting you or Temari?"

Kankurō swallowed, but still didn't shy down. "Nope."

Gaara glared at him dangerously, and Kankurō was afraid that for a moment that he would rethink his polacy against hurting him or Temari.

_Dang it, he's serious! He really wants to kill me!_

His mind was set at ease when Gaara suddenly just sighed. "There's really no chance that you'll change your mind?" he asked.

Kankurō was more sure than he had ever been. "No way!"

This emitted another sigh from the once-evil red head.

"Fine. I guess we'll have it _YOUR_ way, then. Let's talk about Matsuri."

**Sorry, Folks, but that's all I got for you me know how you guys are doing. I like hearing from you.**

**And, yes, the next chapter is in progress. Expect by the end of the week.**


	13. One question answered

**Hey, I know that there are going to be a lot of boyish stereotypes of their thoughts about girls. And I found it hard to find real information about how to possible give a guy real "girl tips". I know that calling a girl "fat" is a no-no, or so I think. Look, I really don't give these type of tips to anyone, so this is actually my opinion on how they view ways to get girls. It's not perfect, but then, I'm not I guy am I? So I've got a sorta valid excuse. And, yeah, this is a very long message that _NONE_ of you really have to read, but a few of you may possibly be wondering why I'm not writing down things people should say to me, but I'm not easily bothered by words. It's people's actions that make me angry. Now, I know, shut up and write, Crazy-lady who kind of sounds crazy, So without any further words that do not relate to the story, and without further adieu, I give you the short awaited chapter.**

**Chapter thirteen: One question answered.**

Kankurō had not expected Gaara to give up so easily, but he knew that Gaara wasn't the type of guy to pull prey into a trap... _Hey, wait a minute..._

"Kankurō," Gaara said, jerking his head back into reality, "I _**SAID**_ let's talk about Matsuri."

To Kankurō, the ball dropped. He got exactly what his brother was saying.

"Yes, let's."

Gaara to his greatest embarrassment, listened intently as his brother explained all about what to do and what not to do. Like, for instance, **_NEVER_** call a girl "fat". But it _is_ okay to pay her a compliment, such as, "You look pretty tonight," or whatnot, even if she doesn't.

After the thirteenth rule, Gaara decided that would be a long list, and he'd better get it down on paper.

He wrote down one sentence in the middle of the paper.

It looked like this with the thirteen rules already on it:

* * *

**_What and what not to do:_**

_1) Do pay her a compliment whenever you see her._

_Note:__You get extra points if you give her a sneaky one. _

_Or if she __doesn't notice that you're complimenting her, _

_but other boys do, (it means you're "marking your territory")._

_2) **Do not** call her "Ugly". It ends in her kicking your butt. **HARD. ALWAYS.**  
_

_3) Do: always arrive at the **EXACT** time you promise to arrive. To her, that says _

_that she's not worth your time (that tends to peeve her off). But, if she's not __  
_

_the type of girl, and tends to be more easy-going, then the person who you're _

_most likely __going to peeve off, is her "daddy". They like it when you're punctual,_

_it shows that you can be trusted with their daughter. It sets their mind at rest._

_4) **Do not** ever try to win a extreme fight. It makes her **MAD **(like raging bull, _

_mad). _

_5) You might actually have dispose of the previous rule. Some girls like to fight. _

_Find __out if Matsuri's this type of girl. If you don't, serious crap will go down. __If _

_that's the __case, fight her, and fight her **HARD**. If you don't, she'll beat you _

_down__... **PHYSICALLY**._

_6) Do hold the door open. This isn't a real rule, but it's just plain RUDE to make her _

_open __it herself, don't you know that bro?! _

**(A/N: Gaara isn't actually paying attention ****to what he's writing. He just wants to get all the information down.)**

_7) **Do not EVER** hit on her sister, (not only does that make her jealous, but it __  
_

_might mean your ended life sooner than later). It also tends to pull the family_

_apart. That's never a good idea._

_8) Do: always get her home on time. If you don't, her father will question your_

_responsibility level. It may also make him believe that you're a bad influence on_

_his daughter, and might persuade him to forbid you on ever seeing her. _

_9) **Do not EVER** insult her. Not even if you guys get into a serious fight. Girls tend _

_to get extremely emotional after heavy __fights. Some even go to their dads', who _

_immediately go to their axes', chainsaws', and whatnot. _

_10) Do: if you ever do get in a serious fight, and she runs out crying, don't just _

_leave it like that. Girls like to be comforted, even if you're the one who hurt them_

_in the first place. And remember the previous rule, don't EVER let her go to "daddy"_

_on you._

_11) Possibly discard the previous rule if Matsuri's not one of those girls who like to _

_be consoled, (some girls are like that). Find out if she's one of them. If she is, follow_

_the rule, if she isn't, it's best you give her her space for a while, then go to her. And _

_don't worry, it's been my experience _**(A/N: He's still writing exactly whatever **

**Kankurō's ****saying) **_that if she doesn't want you to talk to her, she won't tell her _

_dad. Maybe not the case always, though..._

_12) **Do not EVER **call her a wimp. That tends to break the built up trust. For _

_example, if she tells you her fears, don't laugh. They're real to her. And you _

_laughing at them, means that you're laughing at her, too. _

_13) Do promise her "daddy" that you'll **ALWAYS** protect her. If you do this, it_

_builds faith in you from the "parentals". That's always a good start to a _

_relationship. It helps assure her as still your's if you screw up along the "road_

_of love". And trust me, you'll need the extra assurance, since we **ALL** screw up._

* * *

The whole front page was now full. Gaara scanned the thirteen rules in front of him.

"Let me guess, you want me to memorize all of these, don't you?" he inquired, already sure of the answer.

Kankurō nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that, Bro. And that's not all. There are a lot of rules to memorize."

Gaara's head fell in a mixture of defeat, and utter annoyance.

_Why did he have to like this girl so much?! _

He closed his eyes and cursed the very existence of her. But in the same "breathe", he silently thanked her parents for making her all the same.

When his eyes opened again, they scanned the list in his hands. _A lot of these won't be a problem with Matsuri. I don't think she's really the fighting type. And her parents are already dead, so I don't have to worry about their approval. Also, she's an only child, so I don't need sibling approval either. She has no family to hate me. _

"So," he asked Kankurō suddenly, "How may rules do I have to memorize?"

His older brother glanced over at him, surprised by the sudden question. "I don't know," he admitted finally.

Gaara returned back to the list with an irritated"Hm." His eyes scanned over the page, taking in every word. Kankurō watched him admiringly for a few minutes.

_Dang, he must really like Matsuri to have him do this for her._ He smiled at the thought of his little brother, and the sweetest, shyest kunoichi in the sand village being together. _Well, I guess that answers my question on how much he likes her, then._

**Kunoichi: It means female ninja. Funny thing, Shikamaru once called Sakura a Kunoichi who "lacked serious skills". This was in part one, but at least she got better.**


End file.
